Quick Thoughts On A Successor For Debelle

RBA Deputy Governor Debelle’s resignation creates a void in the leadership structure atop the central bank. It is virtually impossible to provide a comprehensive list of potential replacements, especially given the out of the blue nature of the resignation. We will stick within the upper echelons of RBA ofificals, given the precedent of hiring from within when it comes to senior leadership positions within the Bank:

• Debelle is well-versed in financial markets, which makes Assistant Governor (Financial Markets) Chris Kent a prime candidate to fill the void from within the current cohort of Assistant Governors, in our view, especially when his experience is bolstered by his tenure as Assistant Governor (Economics).
• Although this is by no means a certainty, with current Assistant Governor (Economics) Ellis probably among the early frontrunners as well.